The CliftonStrengths Coaching Blog is a resource for those who want to help others truly understand their strengths and learn how to use them. Gallup experts and outside contributors share tactics, insights, and strategies to help strengths coaches maximize the talent of individuals, teams, and organizations everywhere.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

On a recent Theme Thursday live webcast, we discussed the Learner theme with Gallup Strengths Evangelist Paul Allen. Paul’s top five strengths are Learner, Input, Ideation, Intellection and Strategic.

People with strong Learner talents not only love to learn, but they also intuitively know how they learn best. They can learn quickly, and when focused, they can keep a group, team and organization on the cutting edge.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

It was quite clear he was a leader who was used to being in charge. With a firm voice, the senior leader intoned, “Stephen, what we’re going to do is that you are going to help me to focus on each and every one of my bottom five strengths so that I can master them.” I think he was a little surprised when I quickly and just as firmly responded, “Sir, we aren’t going to do that.”

In our strengths coaching session, I disagreed with the senior leader’s proposed approach, because it ran directly counter to Gallup’s strengths philosophy. The first thing that many folks do when they receive their full 34 strengths report is rush to the bottom of the list. Yet, what Gallup actually believes is that while failure can be avoided by focusing on weaknesses, excellence is only achieved when we focus on strengths.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

On a recent The Great Manager webcast, we spoke with Tammie Brailsford, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for MemorialCare Health System, which has received the Gallup Great Workplace Award in each of the past four years.

Tammie first discovered her strengths when she joined MemorialCare, and she says that about half of all employees at the organization have also discovered theirs. Those in leadership roles -- managers, nurses and physicians -- receive formal strengths training, which they call Leadership Academy, and it helps create a culture where the language of strengths becomes the norm.

Tammie says the greatest influence on her management style has always been her father. She reminisces about her time as a young girl when she would accompany her father to work on the weekends. She was always amazed by how he related to his employees by getting to know them individually on a personal level. This created an environment where the employees had so much respect for their boss that they would do almost anything to get the job done.

Taking a page out of her father’s book, Tammie says one of her favorite things to do as a manager is getting to know people’s names and sending them personalized notes. She says that a simple personal touch really helps to create a trusting connection and leaves a lasting impression.

To hear Tammie talk more about the practices that make her a great manager, watch the full video above.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter to continue the conversation and network with others who are passionate about strengths.

Tammie is responsible for overseeing the clinical, quality, financial and operational performance of MemorialCare Health System’s six hospitals, the MemorialCare Medical Foundation, numerous ambulatory locations and all shared services. Brailsford holds a master’s degree in healthcare management from California State University Los Angeles, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Pacific Union College and a diploma in nursing from Niagara College in Canada.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

By Al Winseman, D.Min., Senior Learning and Development Consultant, Gallup

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor? A firefighter? A police officer? An astronaut? Chances are, when you were asked that question you probably didn’t say, “When I grow up, I want to be a manager!” Let’s face it, our culture does not glamorize the role of a manager. But yet, all of our research suggests that managers hold perhaps the most important role in any organization. Coaching managers, therefore, is perhaps some of the most important work we can do.

The role of a manager is complex. Managers must create strategies and solutions to help their employees and team learn, grow, develop and succeed. In order to do that, Gallup research reveals that the best managers:

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

On a recent Theme Thursday live webcast, we discussed the Intellection theme with Gallup Client Service Consultant, Steve Crabtree. Steve’s top five strengths are Ideation, Maximizer, Input, Connectedness and Intellection.

People with strong Intellection talents like to think. They like mental activity. They like to exercise the “muscles” of their brain, stretching them in multiple directions.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

On a recent Called to Coach: Southeast Asia Edition we spoke with Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Deon Rademeyer. Deon’s coaching focus is on using a strengths-based approach to improve team collaboration and development.